Product Description

GDFB has been gaining popularity in Europe over the years as the number one supplier of affordable, functional garments and Armor for reenactment and combat use.

DESCRIPTION:

12th Century Crusader Dagger is based on an original housed at the Museum of London, this dagger features a tempered high carbon steel blade and mild steel fittings. The grip is wood and a leather sheath is included.(Photo colors may not match the actual colors)

The 12th century included the Second and Third Crusades into the Holy Land, including some noteworthy battles involving Saladin. The 12th Century Crusader Dagger depicts one of the typical secondary weapons of that period. This dagger works great as a historical re-enactment weapon or display piece within your home!

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The Art of Medieval Style Sword Making

The forging of a European / Medieval sword is a subtle and careful process, an art that has developed over the centuries as much in response to stylistic and aesthetic considerations as to technical improvements.

There was a smith to forge the rough shape, often a second smith (apprentice) to fold the metal, a specialist polisher, and even a specialist for the edge itself. Before the blacksmith or swordsmith actually starts hammering or heating the metal for a sword there is a lot of work to be done. The sword size, shape, properties, and metal composition all have to be decided upon. These factors determine the amount of metal, the temperatures of heating and the specific steps in the process that have to be completed.

Blades were often forged with different profiles, different blade thicknesses, and varying amounts of grind. Some blades were made of a laminate construction, produced by folding the steel over and over then forge welding at each fold (resulting in layers). In this lamination method to refine and make the steel more homogenous, it was folded and forges welded. The swordsmith had to fold the bar of metal, resulting in a doubling of the layers and in the process blending the qualities of the various pieces of steel in the billet. The more the steel was folded the more homogeneous the metal in the blade became. The number of folds would be determined by both the material and the final qualities the smith was looking for. One other way to combine smaller amounts of better steel into a larger useable billet was to create a piled structure where a few bars of refined steel were stacked together then welded as one and forged out into a blade shape without any further folding. But swords made by whatever means consisted essentially of careful combinations of softer iron with harder steel. There are many different methods for making a sword and the art has changed over the centuries as technologies, tools and the science of metallurgy has changed. But for the past five hundred years, there has been one method that still stands as the most common.

Today, swords are still being made by modern artisans; some pursue the traditional methods while others apply modern tools, techniques, and materials to the craft. A great number of commercially available swords are being made in China with modern tools and materials employing traditional methods. Let's remember that steel-making was imported into Europe from China, via Korea. The steel used in the Chinese swords, called "chi-kang" (combined steel), was similar to pattern welding, and edges of it were often forge-welded to a back of the soft iron, or "jou thieh." In trying to copy the Chinese method, the European smiths paid much attention to the various properties of steel and worked to combine them to produce an internal macro-structure that would provide a similar combination of hardness and toughness.

About GDFB

Get Dressed For Battle (GDFB) offers a range of quality medieval re-enactment supplies, including, Chainmail, medieval armor, battle ready helmets, medieval shoes, Viking and medieval clothing, plate armor, polearms, and weapons, cooking pots and utensils. GDFB has been gaining popularity in Europe over the years as the number one supplier of affordable, functional garments and Armor for reenactment and combat use. We're offering a wide range of GDFB products and adding more all the time.

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